


the sweetest dream will never do

by satans_cinnamonroll



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Past Byun Baekhyun/Kim Taeyeon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-04-23 03:37:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19142770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/satans_cinnamonroll/pseuds/satans_cinnamonroll
Summary: Sehun wants Baekhyun's last spring to be a good one.





	the sweetest dream will never do

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt Petal:** #251
> 
> Writing this fic was a tough one for me because I tend to avoid angst, but I am super proud of how it turned out. I feel like I stuck to the prompt very well, so I hope whoever prompted this enjoys the story!  
> I have a habit of throwing non-EXO members into my stories. I love Taeyeon too much to resist and I'm not sorry about making her a part of this story.  
> Also, everyone is bi. Because I said so.

Spring had always been Sehun’s favorite season. He loved everything about it- the flowers blooming, green leaves returning to the trees, the gradual increase of both temperature and daylight hours. Both his and Baekhyun’s birthdays were in spring. The school where he taught would put on a spring musical every year, directed by Sehun himself. It was his favorite time of the school year.

This year, though...This year Sehun did not feel like celebrating. The blooming flowers, although beautiful, only served to remind him of the ugly thing that was soon to come. He didn’t want his birthday to come. He didn’t want Baekhyun’s to come.

That winter had been harsh, but the spring was looking to be even worse on them. Sehun didn’t want to think about it, but as winter faded and spring hit he found it was all he could think about.

Baekhyun was dying.

What had started as a small tumor, one the doctors insisted would be easily operable, had turned out to be something much worse. Suddenly Baekhyun was constantly in and out of the hospital, doing tests and treatments, feeling worse than he originally did. The chemotherapy left him tired and nauseous and feeling foggy, until he decided that he didn’t want to do it anymore.

They had argued about it, briefly. Sehun wasn’t ready to lose Baekhyun, didn’t ever want to lose Baekhyun. He felt selfish for it- with the chemotherapy Baekhyun was in constant pain, but only twelve years together wasn’t enough for Sehun. He wanted to spend his entire life with Baekhyun.

 

A week before spring officially begins, the doctors tell them that Baekhyun has only three months left. Sehun had been preparing for this, had known it was coming for the past few weeks, but hearing it aloud almost breaks him. Where their hands rest entwined on Sehun’s thigh, Baekhyun gives a reassuring squeeze.

Sehun can’t imagine what Baekhyun is feeling at the moment. If he feels sadness, he doesn’t show it. In fact, he looks better than he has in a while, at least since everything started. Since stopping the chemotherapy, the color has been returning to his skin, and he feels less foggy than he did. There is still pain, and still occasional nausea, but it’s better than it was before.

Sehun keeps it together long enough to leave the doctors office and drive home. Baekhyun keeps giving him worried looks, like he can sense the oncoming breakdown. 

It doesn’t come until after lunch. They’re sitting at their small table, empty plates sitting in front of them. It’s silent, Sehun lost in his own thoughts and Baekhyun giving him even more worried looks.

All it takes to reduce Sehun to a blubbering mess is Baekhyun trying to play footsie under the table. Sehun can’t help but think about how soon this domesticity will be gone, all Baekhyun’s playful touches and his loving presence, and he can’t stop the tears after that.

Baekhyun is fast to wrap him in a hug. With Sehun still sitting and Baekhyun standing, Sehun is at just the right height to bury his head into his lover’s neck. It’s comforting, feeling small when normally he towers over Baekhyun.

Baekhyun is running fingers through his hair, in the way he knows helps Sehun, and pressing kisses onto his hair.

“Don’t be so sad, baby,” he whispers, “Everything’s going to be alright.”

Baekhyun keeps repeating himself until, after what feels like forever, Sehun stops crying. Baekhyun doesn’t let him go though, just continues to stand there and hold him. His hands slip from Sehun’s hair to his cheeks, thumbing away leftover tears and pushing Sehun’s head up until they make eye contact.“I mean it, Sehun,” he whispers, “Things are going to be okay, even if it doesn’t seem like it right now.”

Baekhyun would never lie to him, not intentionally, but that’s what Sehun thinks his words are. He can’t imagine a life without Baekhyun as okay. Still, he just nods and mumbles an “okay”.

Baekhyun smiles at him. It’s sweet, and it eases up some of the hurt in Sehun’s chest. The kiss that Baekhyun presses against his lips only seconds later is even sweeter.

 

Life goes on.

Baekhyun is on permanent medical leave. Sehun thinks that’s the most depressing part for Baekhyun- he had loved his job at the local animal hospital. He loved animals. They hadn’t been able to have any at their last rental, and when they moved into a house that allowed pets they found out about Baekhyun’s illness only a few weeks later. It had been mutually agreed that it wasn’t the time to adopt an animal.

Sehun goes back to work only a day after the appointment. As much as he wants to stay home with his husband, the money they get from Baekhyun’s medical leave isn’t enough to pay the bills and put food on the table. Baekhyun also insists that his students need him, which Sehun can’t really argue.

He does take a step back though. The school administration knows the situation, and they’re pretty lenient with Sehun leaving early to attend Baekhyun’s appointments. Where he used to hang out in the teacher’s lounge after school, grading papers with Chanyeol, he leaves as soon as his bus shift is over, grading at home with Baekhyun just in the other room or beside him on the couch. The spring musical, which he usually is in charge of, is passed on to another teacher. He loves doing it, but the musical means hours of after-school work every day for over a month, coming home late and stressing about students not learning their lines. Sehun doesn’t want to lose any time with Baekhyun, and he certainly doesn’t want to be stressed during their time together.

Baekhyun makes him promise to take it back up again next year.

 

The first day of April is a Saturday, and it’s starting to be not-horrible outside. Warm enough to only need a light jacket. They haven’t gone on a proper date in a while, not since before Baekhyun’s diagnosis, both busy with work. Sehun regrets it now, regrets not making time to at least see a movie in the theater or something, but there’s nothing he can do about it now. Instead, he determines himself to plan out the best date ever.

They make a whole day of it. The morning starts out at a local diner, Baekhyun’s favorite place to get breakfast. It’s endearing to Sehun how Baekhyun studiously examines the menu, even though he always orders the same thing. Baekhyun is adorable as he fidgets in his seat, excitedly waiting for his food, whining when Sehun refuses to tell him what he’s got planned.

Next, they hit the local aquarium. Baekhyun is always entranced by the different species. He’s outgrown his tendency to press against the glass as the children do, but he gets as close as possible. They pet the sharks and the rays, much to Sehun’s chagrin- petting fairly dangerous animals tends to freak him out, but he’ll do it for Baekhyun.

It’s nearly dinner time when they leave the aquarium, having eaten lunch at the little cafe that was inside it. Baekhyun wants pasta, so they go the closest Olive Garden. Baekhyun is practically glowing, smile blinding and cheeks pink from laughing a lot. Their feet are hooked together under the table, so reminiscent of when they had first started going out, all those years ago.

There’s a park and greenhouse just a five-minute walk from their house, and that’s how they end the night. It’s getting dark outside, not many people out and about. Baekhyun clings to Sehun’s arm as they walk around the lake, head against his shoulder. Sehun can tell he’s tired, walking slower than when they were at the aquarium, small yawns frequently breaking their peaceful silence, but when he suggests going home Baekhyun vigorously shakes his head no.

“It’s a nice evening, babe. I want to finish our walk.” He insists. “Besides, I’m not even that tired.” The end of that sentence is punctuated by another yawn, but Sehun pretends he didn’t hear it.

They stroll through the greenhouse, Baekhyun stopping to smell his favorite flowers. He had wanted some for their house, but neither of them possessed a green thumb. By the time they start on their way home Baekhyun is leaning more heavily against Sehun, his cute sleepy smile not leaving his face and yawns coming from him more frequently.

It worries Sehun a bit. It’s been a long day, so they’re both naturally tired, but he can’t help but think of when Baekhyun will tire even easier, when he’ll be too tired to even leave the house. They both know it’s going to happen.

Baekhyun must notice his distress because feather light kisses are being pressed against Sehun’s arm in a calming fashion. In return, he kisses the top of Baekhyun’s head, and only moments later they’re on the doorstep.

Their bed is huge, enough room so that they can sleep without touching each other if they wanted too. Baekhyun is a cuddle monster though, so Sehun often finds himself in the middle of the mattress with Baekhyun curled atop his chest.

“I love you,” Sehun mutters into Baekhyun’s hair.

Baekhyun hums softly and presses a kiss onto Sehun’s chest. “I love you too.”

  
Sehun does, eventually, have to stay late after school. Teaching in a high school where parent-teacher conferences were not mandatory, he’s never had more than a few parents showing up, but he’s not allowed to go home until after seven o’clock. No one has shown up within the past hour. Sehun still has another half an hour, and he’s fidgeting in his chair with no more grading to pass the time.

He hasn’t heard from Baekhyun since school ended. Of course, Baekhyun doesn’t have to let Sehun know his every move, but he’d been very fatigued the past few days and Sehun had spent the majority of the day worried. He’d been able to take care of Baekhyun over the weekend, but Monday came and he had to go to work.

When Sehun finally makes it home, there’s another car parked outside the house. Sleek silver, he recognizes it as Taeyeon’s, Baekhyun’s best friend, car.

Baekhyun is dozing on the couch when he comes inside. A blanket is wrapped around him, a movie playing quietly on the TV, and the lights dimmed. Sehun decides to let him be and wanders into the kitchen, which is where he finds Taeyeon. She’s rummaging through their cabinets, a pot of what appears to be pasta on the stove.

She smiles at him when she turns away from the cabinet, clutching some kind of spice in her hand. “Hey!” She greets.

“Hello, Taeyeon,” Sehun replies. “When did you get back from your trip? Baek told me you were in Europe.”

“Oh, just yesterday. I’m off of work for another day or two though. I planned to just laze around a bit, but Baekhyun called me to talk,” Taeyeon’s smile falls, replaced by a slight frown. “He sounded really tired and he couldn’t stop coughing. I came over to check on him.”

Sehun nods, frown mirroring hers. “He wasn’t feeling well all weekend. We’ve been out and about a lot since last weekend though, so Dr. Kim says he might have just caught a cold,” Tears threaten to prick at his eyes. “I know he’s going to decline, but I’m hoping this isn’t it.”

“God, me too,” Taeyeon whispers. Her eyes are glossy when she pulls him into a hug. “I hope so too.”

 

They wake Baekhyun up when dinner is done, and they eat on the couch. Baekhyun is still a bit drowsy, smiling at both of them when Sehun hands him a dish. They sit on either side of him, Baekhyun leaning into Taeyeon’s side as they eat and his feet wiggling under Sehun’s thigh.

Once upon a time, the first few months of their relationship, Sehun had been uneasy with how physical Baekhyun and Taeyeon were. He trusted Baekhyun with his whole heart, but the two had once been together, had known each other long before Sehun came into the picture. They still loved each other- only not in a romantic way, Sehun realized later.

Now, though, he’s grateful for Taeyeon. So, so grateful, especially these past few months, on the days he couldn’t make it to doctor’s appointments or on days similar to this, when he couldn’t be there for Baekhyun, because he knows Taeyeon has his back.

When she leaves, late that evening, both Sehun and Baekhyun walk her to the door. She hugs Sehun first, rubbing a hand against his back reminiscent of their earlier moment in the kitchen. She turns to Baekhyun next, hugging him and pressing a kiss against his cheek.

“Love you,” They say to each other.

They stand in the doorway until she gets in her car and drives away. Baekhyun wraps himself around Sehun’s side as they go back into the house. Despite having a nap, he’s still tired, so Sehun just rinses the dishes and leaves them on the counter to properly wash tomorrow. Baekhyun waits for him at the table, still bundled up in his blanket.

“C’mon babe, let’s go to bed.”

Baekhyun stays up long enough for Taeyeon to text him that she got home safely, then he’s fast asleep in Sehun’s arms. Sehun lies awake for a while, mind running a mile a minute. He’s worried about some of his students. He’s worried about Taeyeon, knowing that she’s handling the situation about as well as he is. Mostly, he’s worried about Baekhyun.

When he does fall asleep, it is not peaceful. He tosses and turns so much that it manages to dislodge Baekhyun’s koala grip on him. In the morning, he does not feel well rested and his students definitely notice his mood.

 

It does turn out to be just a cold. The coughs stop within a day or two, and although Baekhyun doesn’t regain his previous amount of energy, he isn't as fatigued as he was. He even insists that Sehun take him on a walk around the park in their evenings.

  
Baekhyun has decided to stop driving, a decision he made shortly after his diagnosis. Even when he feels fine, his vision has become questionable. That does not stop him from randomly showing up at Sehun’s classroom during his lunch break, which was something he had done before.

  
“Taeyeon was able to drop me off. She’ll pick me up again when your lunch break is over,” Baekhyun explains when Sehun gives him a confused look.

  
It becomes a thing. On the days that she’s able to, Taeyeon will bring Baekhyun over to the school. Sometimes she’ll eat with them, sometimes she’ll leave and get herself fast food, and sometimes she’ll eat with the “delicious looking” choir teacher across the hall. (Taeyeon’s words, not his).

 

The end of April brings about a concert Baekhyun had been looking forward to forever. They had bought the tickets months ago, when they were still hopeful about the chemotherapy. Dr. Kim insists that Baekhyun can still go, but that they should bring a wheelchair in case he gets tired. Baekhyun tries to argue on it, but Sehun gets one anyway.

Good thing, too, since Baekhyun wears himself out walking from the car to the gate. They’re parked pretty far out, a lengthy walk, but Sehun doesn’t hesitate to go back out to the car and grab the wheelchair for Baekhyun. He doesn’t even say ‘I told you so’.

The concert goes great. It’s not really Sehun’s kind of music, but Baekhyun is clearly enjoying himself. The people in the row behind them are drunk off their asses and don’t care when Sehun picks Baekhyun up piggy-back style, after his first complaint of not being able to see anything.

Baekhyun is animated on the walk back to the car, practically glowing as he gushes about the show. He doesn’t even yawn once until after they’ve already made it back home.

Sehun is happy they were able to do this. Baekhyun’s energy had been slipping the past week or so, and he’d been so afraid Dr. Kim would tell them to skip the concert.

"Thank you for taking me, baby,” Baekhyun says later when they’re in bed. “This was the best night.”

 

Things go downhill only a few days later. Because that’s just their luck.

Baekhyun falls down the stairs while Sehun’s at work. He calls Sehun crying. “I don’t want to call an ambulance,” He insists. “Can you try to come home?”

Sehun is a 40-minute drive, not including the time it’s going to take to get someone to take over his class. Taeyeon is only 5 minutes away from the house and it’s her day off, so he calls her while he rushes to pack up his stuff.

“Taeyeon, I need you to go to the house. Baekhyun had a fall, and I can’t get there as quickly as you can.”

He can hear her gasp over the phone. “I’ll head over right now. If he’s injured, I’ll take him to the hospital.”

Taeyeon hangs up. Sehun knows what he must look like in front of his class, packing things in a panic, but they know Baekhyun’s sick. He hadn’t told them that Baekhyun was dying, but he thinks they’ve figured it out by now, with his recent behavior.

Taeyeon’s choir teacher, Tiffany, is who’s able to watch the class for the rest of the period. He thanks her as he rushes out of the room.

Sehun definitely breaks one or two speeding laws on his way home. He doesn’t really care. His heart is threatening to jump out of his chest, hands shaky and the leg not being used for driving is jiggling incessantly.

Taeyeon has helped Baekhyun up and moved him to the couch when Sehun makes it home. Baekhyun is still crying, although not as hard as he had been when he called.

“I-I just wanted something to eat,” He whimpered. “I started feeling dizzy going down the stairs, and after only a step or two my legs failed me.”

Sehun wipes tears off his face after he speaks. Taeyeon crouches in front of Baekhyun and runs careful hands over his legs, presses fingers against his ankle and tests his knee. There’s a bag of equipment next to her. Sehun is glad she’s a trained medical professional in this instance, even if she’s technically only a medical assistant.

“You’re scratched up a bit, but does anything seriously hurt?”

Baekhyun shakes his head. “No. My head kind of hurts, but I had a headache before falling. It doesn’t feel any worse.” He sniffs. “I’m sorry I called you and worried you guys. I was just terrified.”

“God babe, there’s nothing to be sorry for. I’m glad you called me,” Sehun insists. Taeyeon nods her head in agreement.

“Baek, does this dizziness occur often?” She asks.

“It didn’t use to, but these past few days, it’s happened whenever I go up or down the stairs.”

Sehun and Taeyeon make eye contact. “From now on,” Sehun starts, “I think we should sleep down here, in the guest room. That way you won’t have to worry about the stairs.”

Baekhyun grumbles about it but ultimately agrees. Sehun and Taeyeon move the necessities from their bedroom upstairs into the guest bedroom, mainly Baekhyun’s clothes and medicines. The bed isn’t nearly as comfy as theirs, but Sehun would rather deal with it than worry about the stairs.

Together, Taeyeon and Sehun whip up a quick dinner. Baekhyun only eats about a half of it before saying he’s full and ready for bed. By the time Sehun heads to bed, after doing the dishes and seeing Taeyeon out, Baekhyun is already fast asleep. It’s a testament to how exhausted Baekhyun is that he doesn’t curl into Sehun’s side once he lays down like he normally would.

Sehun doesn’t get much sleep that night.

 

Over the next week, Baekhyun starts feeling more exhausted and has little to no appetite. If he’s in pain, he doesn’t mention it to Sehun. He just takes his medicine and curls up with Sehun whenever possible. Baekhyun still makes Sehun walk him around the park, bundled up in his wheelchair, because “Sehuuuuun, the spring blossoms are so pretty”.

When they see Dr. Kim again, in the middle of May, he informs them that Baekhyun probably only has about a week left.

It’s a Thursday evening when they get that news, He can’t take Friday off, but Sehun has enough vacation days built up that the administration lets him take the following week off. He doesn’t want Baekhyun to be alone when the time comes.

 

They stay at home. Baekhyun doesn’t want to leave the house, and despite Sehun normally going stir crazy when cooped inside for too long, it’s fine with him. They watch movies, finally making their way through their Netflix list that has built up over the past year. Taeyeon joins them when she can.

Some of their other friends stop by too, although none of them stay for long. The ones Sehun isn’t familiar with leave their numbers on the kitchen table. They don’t voice the reason, but Sehun knows it’s so he can reach them, when the time comes. When he has to plan the funeral.

When they lay down Wednesday night, Baekhyun insists on being the big spoon. It’s an unusual request, considering Baekhyun has never been the big spoon, ever, during their entire relationship. Sehun goes with it though, letting Baekhyun mold himself against his back, arms wrapped around his waist and head buried against the back of his neck.

It’s silent for a while, but Sehun can tell Baekhyun isn’t asleep yet.

“When I’m gone,” Baekhyun eventually starts. “You need to promise me that you’ll keep going on. That bucket list we made up, I want you to keep ticking things off it.”

Sehun’s heart feels heavy. He tries to turn around in Baekhyun’s arm so he can face his husband, but a squeeze around his waist stops him.

“Hey now, let me talk,” Baekhyun says. He presses a kiss against Sehun’s shoulder before continuing. “Just because I’ll be gone doesn’t mean that you have to do them alone. I can guarantee you that, if you asked, Taeyeon would go with you to Yellowstone or whatever. I know how much you love to travel.” There’s a giggle from Baekhyun. “Not that I think you guys are really each other’s types, but I wouldn’t be upset if you guys did the moving on with each other thing, eventually. Because I do want you to move on, you know. I can’t give you the forever you deserve, and you deserve so much.”

Sehun can’t imagine moving on from Baekhyun after spending twelve years of their life together.

A brief pause. “I know you’re not a big animal person though, so you can take that one off the list,” Baekhyun chuckles. There’s an even longer pause, like he’s trying to find the words to say. “I know how much you wanted kids. I know we argued over it, but I think you should go for it, really. You’d make an amazing father.”

They had argued over it. It was a huge thing to disagree on, considering they were married and had been planning on a future together, but they worked through it. Baekhyun had said they could adopt if Sehun really wanted to. Sehun wanted Baekhyun to want it too. Like most big things recently, they had finally agreed on it right before Baekhyun’s diagnosis. Then they decided to wait until Baekhyun was better. Then they decided not at all.

Tears are rolling down Sehun’s face, soaking the pillow underneath him. He does want to adopt kids, so badly, but he wanted to do it with Baekhyun by his side.

“Honestly, it’ll be hard, but I know you can do it. You’re the most patient and caring person I’ve ever met. You’ll be the best father any kid could ever ask for.”

Sehun does turn around at that, and Baekhyun lets him. Both their faces are wet with tears but that doesn’t stop Sehun from kissing Baekhyun. When they part, Baekhyun continues to lay little kisses all over Sehun’s face, cupping his jaw as he does so.

“I love you, Sehun. I love you so much.”

Sehun hiccups, fresh tears start falling. It sounds like a goodbye.

“I love you too, Baekhyun.”

 

Sehun doesn’t get any sleep that night.

He registers exactly when Baekhyun goes.

 

Planning the funeral goes in a blur. Baekhyun’s parents have been dead for years, but Taeyeon helps him set things up. If asked, Sehun probably couldn’t tell you what flowers he ordered or who all he called to invite.

He feels numb.

The funeral is held one of the last days in spring. The churchyard is covered in beautiful, colorful flowers. There’s a lot of people, so many people having their lives been touched by Baekhyun. Sehun and Taeyeon sit together up front, hands clasped tightly together for support as the priest talks.

Taeyeon has the first speech after the priest. They had both agreed on keeping it relatively short because neither knew how long they’d be able to speak before bursting into tears.

"Baekhyun was my best friend for many years, since we were both juniors in high school. He was the funniest, kindest, most generous person I’ve ever known. Whenever I had a bad day at work or at classes, or whenever I was sick, Baekhyun was always there to help me back on my feet. Usually with ice cream and a silly movie to watch.” Taeyeon pauses to wipe away tears, then continues. “I do not know what I would’ve done without Baekhyun in my life. To be honest, I’m at a loss of what to do now that he’s gone. I’ll forever be thankful for knowing Baekhyun, for having that good of a friend. I will always love him dearly.”

Sehun hands her a tissue when she comes to sit back down, and then he’s up, his turn to speak. He hadn’t planned out what he wanted to say.

“I met Baekhyun in my freshman year of college, when he was a junior. It wasn’t love at first sight or anything like that. In fact, when we first met, I thought he was a bit...obnoxious. After spending a lot of time together, working together in the school bookstore and living across the hall from one another, I fell in love with him. After spending twelve years of my life with Baekhyun, I regret ever considering him obnoxious, because he truly wasn’t. Loud and clingy at times, yes, but the sweetest person ever. I will always remember Baekhyun as the loving, kind, lively person he was.” Sehun takes a deep breath. “I’ve spent the past twelve years intertwining my life with Baekhyun’s. I do not know what I will do without him now, but I know I won’t give up. I will keep going, because that’s what Baekhyun wanted. I will forever love Baekhyun, and I will always carry his memory in my heart.”

Shortly after that, they make their way out towards the graveyard behind the church. There are no more speeches, just lowering Baekhyun’s casket into the ground. Everyone stays long enough to throw a flower into the hole and make their final goodbyes. Once they start throwing dirt into the grave, guests start trickling out. Sehun and Taeyeon stick around long enough to watch the final guests leave and the headstone get secured in place.

Sehun’s heart hurts, so so much, but he also feels lighter than he has in recent weeks, walking back to the car. It is a beautiful spring day and he knows Baekhyun is happy, wherever he is.

 

_Three years later_

 

Sehun is tense as he slowly pulls the car up close to Baekhyun’s grave. The entire car ride had been filled with the shrill cries of his little girl, buckled in her car seat in the backseat.

His little Seojung. The adoption had only gone through a few months ago, but he loved her more than anything. Even when she threw loud tantrums in the car.

The one-year-old quiets down a bit when he lifts her from her car seat. He’s also carrying a bouquet of tulips, for Baekhyun.

It’s the third anniversary of his death. Sehun’s days are still hard without him around, but he’s doing better now than he had been. Baekhyun’s shadow lingered too much in the house they had shared, and the two-story seemed too large without him, so when the lease was up Sehun moved. He now owned a cozy little house, two bedrooms big enough for himself and Seojung. It’s closer to the school, which lets him get home quickly when Jongin, the babysitter, has trouble with Seojung.

Seojung helps too. She’s his world now.

“C’mon baby girl,” he says, “It’s time to introduce you to Baekhyun.”

Seojung babbles in response. She can say a few words, her favorites being papa, nini, tae, and no. It always warms Sehun’s heart when she calls him papa.

They sit in front of Baekhyun’s grave. There are already fresh flowers in the urn, probably from Taeyeon stopping by before work. He just puts the tulips in alongside them, adjusting them until they look good in his eyes. Seojung settles in his lap tiny hands clutching his arm as he shifts them so they’re in a more comfortable position.

“Hi, Baekhyun,” He starts.

Talking to Baekhyun’s grave doesn’t hurt as much as it once did. What was once a sharp pain is now a dull ache, comforted by the years and the knowledge that Baekhyun would be happy for him.

"I’d like you to meet my little princess, Seojung.”


End file.
